Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed bilateral relations and regional and international issues in a phone call Monday with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. During the call, the Turkish president stressed the importance of the will of Russia and Ukraine to resume direct talks and expressed his country's readiness to host a new round of negotiations between the two nations.

According to Qatar News Agency, Erdogan emphasized that a comprehensive ceasefire would provide the necessary environment for the start of peace negotiations, underscoring that this opportunity should not be missed. The Ukrainian president expressed his readiness to enter into direct negotiations with Russia, conditional on a 30-day ceasefire being observed.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed resuming direct talks with Ukraine without preconditions next Thursday in Istanbul. The city previously hosted several rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in March 2022, aimed at reaching an agreement to end the war.